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How I learned to stop worrying and love the O.C.

I can vividly recall the exact circumstances that led me to tune into the primetime soap experience titled, the "O.C." It was almost a year ago and I was reading a blog by Heidi McDonald, a comic book editor and commentator. Since apparently the show contained constant and slightly positive references to comic books, McDonald had started to run weekly columns reviewing the show.

The prospect of mainstream exposure for something that had always been a closet passion of mine slightly intrigued me. Also, subsequent information that one of the primary "O.C." writers was going to be involved in some upcoming comic titles that I was interested in reading continued to pique my interest. Thus, I decided to give the show a look. If for no other reason than just to know what the current pop culture impression of a "fanboy" was. Fortunately for me, my good friend, Kelly [see previous posts] was something of an "O.C." fanatic. Kelly knew the first season inside and out and had been following the second season religiously (right down to "Fight Club"-style rules of watching the show in her presence). Having someone who was up to date on subplots and characters was going to be a bonus. This, I thought, would allow me to study the show for my curiosity and not get lost in the myriad of melodramatic plot developments.



That night's particular episode was actually going to be about three of the characters trying to sell their own comic book idea to a major (and legitimate) comic book publisher. Elsewhere on the show, two other characters were breaking up while two female characters were hooking up. This is where Kelly was a big help. I had no idea what the hell was going on. From just the observations of a first-time viewer, The "O.C." was a cardboard cut-out teen soap opera, spiced up with for a jaded audience of teenagers with attention deficit disorder. I was wrong.



What I discovered was something unexpected: It turned out that the creators of the "O.C." had pulled one over on the Fox network. They had created a dramedy filled with well-written roles and winning dialogue under the veil of cliched primetime recycled "90210" plots and predictable, over-used cliffhangers. The actors and the writers of the show had crafted wholly watchable and engaging characters. No matter what else happened on the show, whether it be break-ups, ragers, infidelity, or maguffins, the moments where the players just got a chance to talk and interact with wit and charm, however briefly, made the entire episode worth watching. These moments could then draw you into the ham-fisted drama so you'd give enough of a care to "tune in" next week to find what "major" or "life-changing" moment of the season might occur. In short, the writing made you smitten with the characters and that kept you around past the teaser.



So what's it about? We'll start with Peter Gallegher since he has garnered some of the most acclaim that it has been bestowed on the show. This is due to his excellent portrayal of Sandy, the beleaguered patriarch of the Cohen family. He not only has to deal with his adopted son Ryan (played with brooding intensity by Ben McKenzie), a former juvenile delinquent that Sandy took in to try to help him have a future; Seth (played with rapid-fire geek exuberance by Adam Brody), his wayward, anti-social offspring who hates the plastic world of southern California and yearns for acceptance for his nerdness. Sandy's marriage to Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) involves him in all of the upper class drama of the community due to her coming from the affluent Nichol family. Also, her old high school flame, Jimmy Cooper, and his wife, Julie, are a constant cause of conflict. Marissa Cooper, their daughter, is the love interest of Ryan, while her best friend Summer is Seth's dream woman. That, in a nutshell, is the "O.C."



In short, nothing that television hasn't seen before. Some of the highlights of the interactions between these characters come from the relationship Sandy has with the boys, Seth and Ryan's dialogues about relationships, Summer and Seth's relationship ups and downs, and the marriage of Kirsten and Sandy. Everything they go through is to hold the family together. These interactions bring out the best in the writing staff and their ability to craft a scene with banter and
sincere dialogue that may not sound realistic, but is always charming.



But the comic book references? They are aplenty. Ryan and Seth, are actually well-portrayed comic book fans. Seth is rabid "fanboy" who rarely gets respect for his interests while Ryan is a passive aficiado who understands all of the trivia that Seth drops, but would never admit to being as into it as he is. Summer, Seth's love interest, has not only dressed up as Wonder Woman to try to win his affections, but has also shared a fan-favorite homage to Spider-man with a recreation of the upside-down kiss in the rain scene from the feature film. A previous character on the show, Anna (played by Samaire Armstrong), gave many rants about graphic novels versus comic books and even went so far as to make Seth a comic for Chrismukkah (don't ask).



Now, I'm just as cultured as the next 20-something, and would never recommend the "O.C." to anyone seeking quality television. I will, however, say I know why it isn't the blight on primetime schedules a la "One Tree Hill" or "Smallville". In their own way, Josh Schwartz, Allen Heinberg, et al and Ryan, Seth, Marissa, Summer, Sandy, Kirsten, Julie, and Jimmy are your corner bar's drink special. They're not good for you, and it's not even something you'd pass along to a friend, but it does make you feel good. When you're down, it's an escape that makes you feel a little better. Winning characters have this ability because they're almost like that acquaintance that always cheers you up.



Personally, I could care less if Ryan and Marissa ever got together or if Seth ever manages to make things work with Summer. These paltry little plot devices disguised as drama are not what makes this a worthwhile hour of TV. The characters, the actors, the dialogue, the sheer charm of the writing; this is what can truly draw you into this show. I'll continue to watch because just listening to them talk about these "events" is worth the black mark on my record of taste in entertainment.

posted by AmeroKafka @ 8:43 PM